| | The Hou Han Shu by Xie Cheng states: "Kang, courtesy name Jining, was filial and respectful to his elders from a young age. He diligently cultivated virtue and conduct, and the Tai Shou Li Su recommended him as an Hui Lian (filially pious and upright scholar)." After Li Su was later executed for a crime, Lu Kang collected his body and sent it back to Yingchuan for burial. He observed the mourning period in accordance with ritual, completed the rites, and was then recommended as an outstanding talent (Maocai). He served successively as Tai Shou of three commanderies, where he was praised for good governance. Later, he was appointed Tai Shou of Lujiang. When Lu Ji was six years old, he met Yuan Shu in Jiujiang. Yuan Shu offered some tangerines, and Lu Ji put three of them in his robe. When he left to pay respects and bid farewell, the tangerines fell to the ground. Yuan Shu asked him, "Young Master Lu, as a guest, are you carrying tangerines?" Lu Ji knelt and replied, "I wish to take them home for my mother." Yuan Shu was greatly impressed by him. Sun Ce was in Wu, and Zhang Zhao, Zhang Hong, and Qin Song were his honored guests. They discussed together how the empire had not yet been stabilized and that military force would be needed to bring peace. Lu Ji, though young and seated at a distance, loudly declared, "In ancient times, Guan Yiwu served as prime minister under Duke Huan of Qi, who convened the feudal lords nine times and unified the realm without using war chariots." "Confucius said: 'If distant people do not submit, then cultivate cultural virtue to bring them in.'" "Nowadays, those who speak do not strive for the methods of virtue and moral persuasion to win people over, but instead only emphasize military might. Though I am a child, I secretly find this unsettling." Zhang Zhao and others were impressed by his words.
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| | Lu Ji had a strong and imposing appearance, was broadly learned with extensive knowledge, and had studied all aspects of astronomy, calendrics, mathematics, and calculation. Yu Fan was an elder with a high reputation, while Pang Tong was the magistratus of Jingzhou and also somewhat older. Both were on friendly terms with Lu Ji. When Sun Quan assumed control of affairs, he appointed Lu Ji as Zoucao Yuan (a clerk in charge of submitting memorials). Because Lu Ji adhered to the straight path and was feared for his integrity, he was transferred out of court service and made Tai Shou of Yulin. He was also granted the title of Pianniangeneral and given an army of 2,000 soldiers. Lu Ji already had a limp from illness, and his interests lay in Confucian learning; this military post was not in line with his aspirations. Although he had military duties, he did not abandon scholarly pursuits. He created the Huntuantu (a celestial globe diagram), annotated the Yijing and explained its mysteries; all of these works were passed down to later generations. Lu Ji had foreknowledge of the day he would die, and so composed a farewell statement: "Lu Ji, a loyal scholar of Wu Commandery under the Han dynasty, studied poetry and history from childhood, and later devoted himself to the study of rites and the Yijing. Assigned by imperial command to campaign in the south, I encountered illness and misfortune; it is an unfortunate fate indeed. Alas, how sorrowful this parting!" He also said: "From now on, beyond sixty years from today, the chariots will have the same track gauge and the writing system will be unified. I regret that I shall not live to see it." He died at the age of thirty-two. His eldest son Lu Hong served as Duwei (military commander) of the southern region of Kuaiji, and his second son Lu Rui was a Zhangshui Jiao Wei. Lu Ji's daughter born in Yulin was named Yuseng; she married Zhang Wen's younger brother, Zhang Bai. Yao Xin's collected writings include a memorial that praises him, stating: "Minister, I have heard that the governance of Tang and Yu promoted virtue through recommendation and education, honored moral excellence, and elevated those with exceptional qualities. This was what the Three Kings prioritized; thus, loyal ministers and righteous men gained fame in their dynasty, while virtuous women and chaste daughters were recorded for posterity." This was done to promote moral cultivation and noble conduct, to widely spread a culture of integrity. Thus, anyone with commendable character would be recognized both in life and after death; those who possessed virtuous qualities would share honor among men and women alike. Therefore, Wang Zhu established the virtue of a cold pine tree and King Qi honored his village; Yi Gu upheld an extraordinary moral standard, and Duke Lu elevated her family's gate. Minister, I humbly observe that the daughter of former Tai Shou Lu Ji of Yulin, Yuseng, from an early age practiced extraordinary virtue and fidelity. As a child she established unshakable moral principles. At only thirteen years old, she married Zhang Bai of the same commandery. Three months after serving at her ancestral temple and before completing the rites of wifely conduct, Zhang Bai encountered a family calamity and died in exile to another commandery. Yuseng raised her voice to declare her virtue, and her sense of righteousness was evident on her face. Despite the coming and going of officials offering condolences, she firmly refused any proposals for remarriage. She cared for Zhang Bai's sisters in perilous circumstances, enduring hardships as if walking through fire and water, with a heart as pure as frost and snow. Her sense of justice was as firm as gold and stone, her faith so strong it reached the heavens. She honored his passing according to ritual, and the people of the region admired her example. Minister, I have learned that virtue is made known through actions and distinguished by titles. If such virtues are not recognized with names or ranks, then the encouragement of goodness will be insufficient. Therefore, when a scholar has an epitaph, the people of Lu recorded his bravery; when a woman from Qi was seen in records, the people of Qi mourned her weeping. I humbly request that Your Majesty's court, following the precedents of former times and drawing upon wisdom above and benevolence below, bestow honor on Yuseng with a title such as "Yigu" (Virtuous Widow), to encourage moral integrity among men and women. In this way, royal virtue will flourish, and both men and women will be inspired to emulate her example."
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